"Kiralyno" The Warrior Queen

           

Kiralyno, the oldest of the Abbottsford Cats, was a throwaway kitten despite her excellent bloodlines. As the runt of the litter, she fought for her mama's milk. She would wiggle her body to the teat and suckle until one of the bigger kits got his way. She always managed to get enough to keep her alive and healthy. Kiralyno survived. When of age, she was sold to a small family for fifty dollars as a 'pet quality' kitten with papers.

Kiralyno never felt like a throwaway. She expected everyone to treat her with respect that her bloodlines demanded. The family who had bought her had a four year old boy and a beagle. They thought a kitten would round out their home nicely. Unfortunately for Kiralyno, things went downhill from the start. As an inquisitive kitten, she'd wander all night; yowling at bugs and shadows.

 
She loved the living room curtains. They were made of fine shear cotton. Her little claws fit perfectly in the intricate weaving for the vertical climb to the shelf where all the fine china was kept.

During the day, the little boy would chase her, grabbing her tail and pulling as hard as he could. She was too small to retaliate; so, she hissed and squawked mightily. As soon as he'd let it go, she'd vanish for hours.

The beagle (who really hated cats) laid low for a while, but, when he saw Kiralyno swipe her paw at the little boy - that was it. The beagle snapped almost amputating her misused tail.

 
Through this, the parents continued as though all was going well, until the fateful night when the kitten reached the top of the shelf. She'd been with the family a month and at twelve weeks old was full of energy. That night, after achieving the summit, she daintily pranced all over, dropping one piece of china after another. Most of the pieces made it to the rug intact. Unfortunately, great grandma's tea pot was toast.
 
The next day, Kiralyno was on her way to the "no-kill" shelter. She languished in Pet Place (the local pet store that helped rescues show off their charges) for almost two months. As she got older, her cuddle appeal was diminishing. Not many people wanted a grown cat; especially one so reticent. Two months turned into two years. She would occasionally get a break from the Pet Place cubby cages when she would be fostered by a kindly volunteer.

On weekends, she would be featured in an outdoor venue where people would stick their hands in her cage. She didn't like that. It was embarrassing. She learned to growl at them to keep them back. She was scared, lonely, and shutting down.

She'd lie in her cage when the people left; resigned to the solitary confinement of the no-kill life for a kitty nobody wanted. Finally, a foster stepped up and took her in. It wasn't long before that foster emailed everyone in the rescue that 'She bit her husband and meant it. This cat would never find a home.' Even a no-kill shelter has its limits.

That's when Maggie, a local rescuer, who also belonged to the group, emailed back. "I'll take her!" Kiralyno was in the store after the biting incident. Maggie didn't let the rescue take any time to say no. She scooped up the queen and talked to her firmly. "Kiralyno, you are a great protector now, aren't you? We've been waiting for you. You'll be fine, little lady."

Maggie knew that this cat managed years of loneliness becaue of her strong will. She was not a cuddly cat. She drew immediate respect from the Abbottsford Clowder as the fighter she was. Kiralyno became the Abbottsford Cats' Warrior Queen.

"Kiralyno Stalks" @2013 by KY Cadt